Cynthia Moore & Leah Fisher Discuss Their Memoirs and Bold Life Pivots

Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore on Tuesday, April 29 when local authors Cynthia Moore and Leah Fisher come to the store to present their memoirs Dancing On Coals:A Memoir of an Overperformer and My Marriage Sabattical: A Memoir of Solo Travel and Lasting Love. Cynthia and Leah will sign copies of their books after the presentation.

About Dancing On Coals -

An award-winning playwright's story of her madcap race to find fame or enlightenment, whichever comes first— perfect for fans of Lori Gottlieb's Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.

In Dancing on Coals, Cynthia Moore describes a multi-decade, harebrained search for love in all the wrong places, starting when her narcissistic mother abandons her to a Swiss finishing school. Desperately seeking belonging, she leapfrogs from a polyamorous commune into a high-octane all-male performance group, dancing as if her life depends on it. When she finally quits the theater, earns a masters degree in psychology and develops her own therapeutic approach, she is able to heal herself and find the true belonging and peace she longs for.

At times humorous and self-deprecating, at times poignant and heartbreaking, this is the story of one woman's path from abandonment to wholeness and authenticity.

About My Marriage Sabbatical -

A vibrant, honest, and unique travel memoir for readers who think they’re too old to “eat, pray, love,” My Marriage Sabbatical captures marital therapist Leah Fisher’s journey to maintain her marriage without forfeiting her own independence.

She wants to travel the world; he wants to keep working. At sixty, Leah Fisher is ready to Love, Honor, and Negotiate. The result is a long-married couple’s decision to commence an unconventional experiment.

Fisher takes readers on two journeys: an intriguing global journey—her year of solo travel—and the relational journey she and her husband embark upon as they skillfully negotiate their different priorities and preferences. We accompany them through a series of reunions and poignant farewells as they stay connected and gradually grow comfortable being together and apart. After the marriage sabbatical is over, both spouses are surprised by the outcome of their daring experiment.

With gray divorce on the rise, Leah Fisher’s memoir demonstrates a creative way to fulfill individual needs without having to make the painful choice between forfeiting heartfelt dreams or leaving one’s marriage to achieve them. A riveting travel story that offers wise guidance on maintaining marital friendship, My Marriage Sabbatical is proof that couples can keep growing as individuals and partners all through their lives.

CYNTHIA MOORE is an award-winning playwright and performer who wrote and directed theater in the Bay Area for over twenty years before leaving the theater to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She has worked as a mental health counselor for twenty-three years, with a particular focus on the connection between spirituality and trauma.

LEAH FISHER is a writer, psychotherapist, amateur photographer and enthusiastic traveler. Her memoir, My Marriage Sabbatical, A Memoir of Solo Travel and Lasting Love, combines these interests and describes a year of traveling alone in her sixties and its impact on her husband, herself and on their marriage.

THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on April 29.

BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.

DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.

WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.

WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.

PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home

OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.

Also check out other Arts events in Berkeley, Literary Art events in Berkeley, Performances in Berkeley.